


One Step Forward

by teddiehtet



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: Acceptance, Alternate Universe, Angst, Character Death, Gen, Nanase Twins Centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:48:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25314844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teddiehtet/pseuds/teddiehtet
Summary: “Gaku wanted to name this machine ‘Taste of Reality’, can you believe that?” Tenn laughed lightly. “Spending so much time around food must have affected his naming sense.”“I think it fits,” Riku followed up, closely examining the helmet portion by turning it around a couple of times. “It definitely felt like a taste of reality.”Tenn leaned forward and propped his forearms on his thighs. Flashing his pleasant, signature smile, he continued, “Then it did the job I wanted it to. Since you haven’t really had a chance to go out these days, I thought I’d bring the world to you.”.....Tenn, with the help of his close friends, had created a highly advanced portable VR machine that utilizes the user's imagination to create hyper realistic scenarios, letting the user experience the the outside world from indoors- a perfect present for his sickly little brother, who has been confined in a hospital for years.
Relationships: Kujou Ten & Nanase Riku
Comments: 10
Kudos: 44





	One Step Forward

. . . . .

“Riku, don’t run.” 

“But Tenn-nii, we should get a good spot before all of them get taken!” 

The wind picked up, scattering more cherry blossom petals across the venue. Passing by some groups of people, Riku stopped right under one of the trees and looked up at the pink flowers in full bloom. In a few seconds, Tenn caught up to his brother and placed the bag he was carrying on the ground. 

“This is a good place, isn’t it?” Riku asked. “It’s not too crowded right now and we can see the castle from here too.” 

“Yes, this is a nice spot,” Tenn agreed. He then reached into his bag and pulled out a large picnic sheet, unfolding it and draping it on the ground. 

Riku helped smooth out the sheet and crawled onto it with his hands and knees. 

“It’s a bit chilly right now. Do you feel warm enough?” Tenn asked as he settled down on the picnic sheet himself. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a non-stick heat pack and handed it to his brother. 

“I’m feeling okay,” Riku reassured, but still took the pack and squeezed it, waiting for it to heat up. “Don’t worry, Tenn-nii.” 

_**~** _

_The small light on the machine changed color, signaling the end of the current simulation. With an awed gasp, Riku, sitting upright on his hospital bed, lifted the helmet portion off of his head and beamed at Tenn. “Tenn-nii, wow! It really felt like I was outside. Everything looked and felt so real!”_

_Sitting on a chair right beside Riku’s bed, Tenn chuckled, his own mood immediately brightened even further by his brother’s excited expression. “I’m really happy to hear that you like my passion project so much.”_

_Riku’s jaw dropped. “This is the first time I’ve seen a passion project **this** advanced. How did you juggle university stuff while working on this?” _

_“I was really invested. Also, I didn’t work on it alone,” Tenn replied, reaching out to ruffle Riku’s hair lightly. “Gaku and Ryuu helped a lot.”_

_“You three are amazing,” Riku praised, his eyes sparkling with admiration._

_“Gaku wanted to name this machine ‘Taste of Reality’, can you believe that?” Tenn laughed lightly. “Spending so much time around food must have affected his naming sense.”_

_“I think it fits,” Riku followed up, closely examining the helmet portion by turning it around a couple of times. “It definitely felt like a taste of reality.”_

_Tenn leaned forward and propped his forearms on his thighs. Flashing his pleasant, signature smile, he continued, “Then it did the job I wanted it to. Since you haven’t really had a chance to go out these days, I thought I’d bring the world to you.”_

_Riku laughed. “You really go above and beyond, Tenn-nii. Thank you for this.”_

_“Hopefully you’ll be well enough to go out again soon,” Tenn spoke. “But until then, you can use this machine to explore anywhere you want, anytime.”_

_With a giddy grin, Riku replied, “One day, when I’m better, let’s go around and visit new places together.”_

_Riku placed the machine on his lap and spread his arms wide, prompting Tenn for a hug. Tenn stood and leaned forward to wrap his arms around his little brother, giving as much comfort as he could._

_“I promise we will, one day.”_

_**~** _

Riku squeezed his eyes shut and raised his arms up, stretching his upper body for a while before rocking back and letting himself fall on his back. After spreading his arms and legs out in the form of an X, he opened his eyes, appreciating the beautiful pastel pink color of the clusters of cherry blossoms above him. The gentle sunlight streamed in, lightly warming up the areas it touched. 

“The cherry blossoms are really pretty,” Riku commented as he turned his head to the side to look at Tenn, a warm smile spreading across his face. 

“They are. I’m glad we were able to catch them in bloom,” Tenn answered. Planting the palms of his hands on the ground, he slid down and lied on his back, next to Riku. As the park started filling up with more flower viewers, the twins continued to make small talk while enjoying the now gentle breeze and peaceful atmosphere. 

Afterwards, Tenn pushed himself up and straightened his clothes. “I’m going to go get us some warm drinks from the vending machine. You stay here and watch our stuff, okay Riku?” 

**_~_ **

_“Tenn.”_

_The young man in question sat, still as a rock, on one of the chairs lined up along the wall in the hospital’s hallway. His posture, once so proper, was now thrown to the wind. Tenn’s shoulders were slumped and his head lowered- his gaze staring only at his clasped hands that were resting on his thighs._

_Ryuu and Gaku, currently standing in front of their friend, looked at each other for a moment before taking a seat on either side of Tenn. Once again, the two older friends glanced at each other, wondering how they would even start a conversation._

_Ryuu took the first step and broke the silence. “Tenn, we just heard the news. I know this is an extremely difficult time for you, and we can’t imagine the pain you’re going through right now. If there’s anything Gaku and I can do for you, or if there’s anything you need, please tell us. Talk to us.”_

_Still, not a word fell from Tenn’s lips._

_In the end, both Gaku and Ryuu sat with their friend in silence. While Ryuu draped his arm around Tenn’s shoulders, Gaku lightly patted Tenn’s head. The two of them kept him company for as long as he needed._

_Time passed, and hustle and bustle within the hospital’s hallway came and went like tidal waves. In Tenn’s ears, the echoes only registered as a constant, muted buzz._

** _~_ **

By the time Tenn got back, Riku had already laid out their unopened bento boxes on the picnic sheet. Holding a can of warm cocoa in each hand, Tenn sat and gave one in to Riku’s outstretched hand. 

“Thanks, Tenn-nii!” 

Tenn nodded in reply and opened his own can. The mildly sweet cocoa smoothly slid down his throat, immediately enveloping his body in a comfortable warmth. 

As they continued sipping on their cocoa, their eyes met in a synchronized glance. The twins then proceeded to open the boxes in front of them. Multiple small, colorful balls of temari sushi sat neatly arranged in one box while another was filled with chirashi sushi. Before digging in, Riku pulled out his phone and took a picture of the food, then tilted his phone up to snap a photo of the cherry blossom trees around them. 

“Let’s take one together too,” Riku brightly suggested. 

Of course, Tenn nodded and almost instantly had his smile and finger gun pose ready. 

**_~_ **

_“How long are you going to keep doing this?”_

_Tenn tightened his grip on the VR machine, keeping his eyes fixated on it. “Is there anything wrong with me using a machine I had a part in creating?”_

_“Yes, there is,” Gaku sharply answered. “At first, I thought this was okay. You were using this thing to help yourself get through your brother’s death, but this has been going on for too long. You’re latching onto something that doesn’t exist.”_

_He paused to gauge Tenn’s reaction. Not even a glance in Gaku’s direction._

_“It’s not healthy Tenn. You have to accept this reality. No matter how tempting and realistic the world this machine creates is, you know that your brother’s gone. The real Nanase Riku is gone.”_

_“I know that!” Tenn hissed, finally whipping his head around to face Gaku. Behind his ice cold glare, was a flurry of mixed emotions- hurt, anger, and sadness. “I know that very clearly…”_

_“And I know you’re getting tired of me repeating myself so many times but Tenn, please, let all of us help you through this. You need to move on.”_

**_ ~  _ **

Riku placed his hand on Tenn’s shoulder and shook him lightly as he pointed to the group of people walking towards the castle for the tour. 

“Tenn-nii, let’s move onto there!” 

Tenn’s head jerked up, meeting Riku’s curious red eyes, then looked at the direction Riku was pointing at. Some of the park-goers have started lining up for the tour of the old castle. Judging from the number of people heading to the venue, Tenn concluded that it was probably something worth experiencing. 

“That seems interesting. Let’s clean up first and go.” 

* * *

“Did you have fun today, Riku?”

After the tour of the castle, the brothers went for a walk around the park, exploring the lake, other small stores in the area, and buying some quick bites from food vendors. Now, under the glow of the sunset, they returned to the flower viewing area and were currently standing underneath the same tree they started their hanami at. 

“I did! I’m glad I was able to do hanami with you this time,” Riku replied enthusiastically. 

“Me too. Today was quite relaxing,” Tenn agreed with a small smile gracing his lips. 

The two sat in a comfortable silence for a couple of moments, merely appreciating the atmosphere and each other’s company. Although the view was indeed calming, Tenn couldn’t help but let his smile drop as the sun continued to set. Just like the hands of a ticking clock, the sun slowly, but surely, made its way down, closer and closer to the horizon. 

“So, Tenn-nii…” 

With a peaceful smile gracing his lips, Riku spun on his heels, turning his whole body towards Tenn. His hands reached out to grasp his brother’s, giving them a light squeeze. 

“Are you ready to finally let me go?” 

Pressing his lips together in a thin line, Tenn raised his gaze to meet Riku’s blazing red eyes- the eyes that were once veiled by a thin shroud of sadness were now as clear and bright as the sunlit sky. 

_The same eyes that had clouded over and closed in the past, with the sharp, drawling beep of a flat-lining heart monitor._

Tenn parted his lips, only to close them again. Returning Riku’s squeeze, he heaved a sigh and started to reply. 

“I’m…” 

_… not 100% ready yet._

He knew he wasn’t fully ready. He wasn’t even sure if he ever will be. Would the day come where he’d really be fully prepared to finally let go of his twin brother? To finally accept Riku’s death with no qualms? 

Suddenly releasing his hold on Tenn’s hands, Riku stepped forward and threw his arms around his brother. 

“It’ll be okay, Tenn-nii,” Riku reassured, his voice ever so soft but still held a ray of positivity. “It’s been really rough for you all this time. You don’t need to answer out loud.” 

Tenn wrapped his arms around Riku, returning his hug, and pressed his forehead against Riku’s shoulder. Letting his eyes fall shut, Tenn stood for a few moments in silence, just giving himself time to collect his own thoughts. 

In turn, Riku gave Tenn’s head a few comforting pats- a little gesture Tenn himself had always done for Riku. 

“Thank you for everything you’ve done for me.” 

Tenn tightened his grasp on the back of Riku’s shirt, willing himself to ignore the sting of tears threatening to spill. 

“Even when my condition was getting worse, you stayed by me, always watching over me. Even when the doctors said I wouldn’t be alive for much longer, you still did whatever you could to help me get through the day.” 

Tenn sucked in a breath and let his inhibitions break. A single tear rolled down his cheek, quickly followed by another. With his head still resting on Riku’s shoulder, Tenn squeezed his eyes shut.

“I wanted my little brother to be happy.” 

“And I was. You’ve done so much for me.” Riku ruffled Tenn’s hair endearingly. “Now please look after yourself too.” 

After a few more sniffles, Tenn took a deep breath and cleared his throat, trying to get his voice to work. Some more seconds of silence passed before he lifted his head and stepped back. Finally, he faced Riku and maintained eye contact. Though tears still stained Tenn’s cheeks, his eyes had become clearer- the sharp, piercing quality of his gaze now more prominent. 

“To be honest, I don’t know if or when I’ll ever be 100% ready to move on from your death,” Tenn confessed. “It’s something I really can’t predict, myself.” 

Riku gave a small nod, urging his brother to continue. 

“However, this will be the last time we meet,” Tenn firmly announced. “It’s time for me to at least work towards moving ahead.” 

“As expected of Tenn-nii,” Riku fondly spoke. “I know you can do it. Once you’ve made a decision, you’ll definitely go through with it. This strength of yours is something that always shines through.” 

Tenn looked off sideways into the distance. “I wouldn’t really say I was strong during this past year. Gaku and Ryuu always tried to talk to me about this but… I always ran away.” 

“But not anymore,” Riku reminded. 

Tenn nodded, turning his attention back to Riku. His light eyes, though swollen from the tears, clearly shone with his own resolve. No longer were they clouded by a wall of denial. To reflect the change in his eyes, the corners of his lips also turned up into his ever pleasant smile. “Not anymore.” 

“I’m glad you’ve found the courage and will to take one step forward, Tenn-nii,” Riku said as he spread open his arms. Now with a smile on his face, Tenn stepped into Riku’s open arms, making sure he was able to give Riku one last warm hug. 

“Rest well, Riku,” Tenn muttered, letting his eyes fall shut and tightening his hug. “Good night… and good bye.” 

**_-Simulation END-_ **

**Author's Note:**

> I've been in an angst mood lately with the twins, so I wanted to try my hand at writing this style of fic with them! This idea came to me while I was listening to/watching the MV for "Shelter". I hope I was able to convey the emotions as well as maintain the flow of the story! 
> 
> Kudos & comments are always appreciated! I love getting feedback and would love to hear your thoughts! ^^ 
> 
> Please feel free to talk with me on twitter! ( [ @bunnymikaaa](https://twitter.com/bunnymikaaa) )


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